Quality of the bread grains is good

21.11.2007

<div>The autumn rains did not reduce the quality of the bread grains. Based on the final results of the monitoring of the grain harvest, the quality of Finnish rye is good. Three quarters of the examined samples fulfilled the quality requirements for milling rye. The low falling number reduced the quality of the spring rye. The quality of spring wheat is also good. According to Evira’s grain analyses, the percentage suited for bread grain is the highest in six years. </div>

RyeThe low falling number dropped the percentage rye suitable for milling (hectolitre weight ≥71kg and falling number ≥120) to 75 per cent. The hectolitre weight stayed below 71 kg in only five per cent of the samples. Due to the late harvest the falling number dropped, especially in spring rye. 40 per cent of the samples of the spring rye variety Juuso were of milling quality, whereas with the best winter ryes, Amilo and Elvi, 90 per cent of the samples were of milling quality. Of the winter rye varieties Kartano had the lowest share of milling rye; half of the samples were of suitable quality. Besides Juuso, the lowest average falling numbers came from Anna (141) and Kartano (145).

The average hectolitre weight of all the rye samples (76.4 kg) stayed lower than in 2006 (77.3 kg). The hectolitre weight of Akusti (79.0 kg) was at last year’s level, and of Amilo (79.2 kg) it was even higher. The hectolitre weights of all of the varieties were higher than in the rest of the 2000s with the exception of last year.

Spring wheat56 per cent of the spring wheat samples fulfil the quality requirements for bread grain (hectolitre weight ≥78kg, protein content ≥12.5 % and falling number ≥180). The share was higher than in previous years, mainly due to the higher protein content. The protein content was over 12.5 per cent in 80 per cent of the samples. Average protein content (13.6 %) is higher than in the three previous years, but it remains clearly lower than the highest result in the 2000s (2002 14.8 %). The falling number stayed below 180 only in about 10 per cent of the samples.

Of the varieties, Zebra had the highest share of milling quality samples, 80 per cent, and the next highest was Anniina with 65 per cent. Vinjett and Amaretto had the lowest shares, for both about a quarter of the samples fulfilled the requirements. With Amaretto, the main reason for the low share was the protein content, with Vinjett in addition to the protein content, the hectolitre weight was low.

Winter wheatThe protein content determines the share of bread grain quality winter wheat samples. The percentage (28 %) is the third lowest in the 2000s and the average protein content (12.1 %) is the second lowest. In contrast to the other bread grains the average hectolitre weight of winter wheat (81.2 kg) is higher than last year (80.9 kg).

Of the winter wheat varieties, the low protein content of Olivin (11.7 %) is also noted in the lower percentage of samples of bread grain quality than that of the other varieties. Of the samples of Olivin only 10 per cent fulfilled the requirements, whereas of Urho the share is 36 per cent and Tarso 43 per cent. The average hectolitre weight of Urho (80.5 kg) is lower than Olivin (82.8 kg) and Tarso (82.9 kg).